I am looking for my Grandfather's genealogy. I have run into every brick wall! William Brown and James Brown as all too common names. I even searched the LDS data base. Do you realize just how many William Brown(s) have the name of James Brown as a father? Whew!

He was WILLIAM THOMAS BROWN Born November 14, 1887. He moved to Decatur, Illinois. In 1917, he married BESSIE NANCY JONES. He was in W.W.I, and received a bonus as per the paper I did receive from the State of Illinois. He was discharged Jan, 1919 at Camp Grant Illinois. In 1931, it appears he lived at 1729 N. Clinton in Decatur Illinois. He had 4 children.

According to his 1920 Census card from Decatur Illinois, he said his birth place was Kentucky. Shortly after his death in 1948, my father tried to find relatives -- a HELEN or ELLEN and a DWAYNE or DWIGHT - was located near POWDER MILLS, in HART COUNTY My father said unfortunately the time he was able to search for his relatives, the road was too muddy for him to pass through. Unfortunately, he did not have the funds to return to Kentucky to try to find them again.

William's Illinois Marraige Certificate to Bessie Nancy Jones Brown shows his father's name is JIM BROWN and mother's name is ERMINA McKinney and that he was born in Powders Mill, KY.

Would you be so kind as to share any information you might have?

Thank you,
Rita